


all the lights are coming on now

by impossiblepluto



Series: have yourself a fluffy, whumpy christmas [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Christmas, Found Family, Gen, Gratuitous comfort, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21539449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblepluto/pseuds/impossiblepluto
Summary: Gratuitous Christmas-y comfort
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: have yourself a fluffy, whumpy christmas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552330
Comments: 42
Kudos: 92





	all the lights are coming on now

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Mac-fam!  
> I was thinking about what I wanted to do fic and fandom-wise for Christmas this year. I wanted to celebrate my mac-fam as 2019 ends and we head into the final months of our hiatus.
> 
> So here it is, Pluto's "Fluffy Whumpy Christmas"  
> 24 stories, chapters, or missing scenes, now through Christmas Eve.

Mac frowns, manipulating the thin piece of wire between his fingers. 

Long fingers, usually sure and steady, disarming delicate explosives, elegantly wielding his knife. Talented and sensitive, but scarred with reminders that despite his skill he isn't always successful. He doesn't always walk away unscathed. 

Fingers that today, tremble with pain and hands that shake with cramps that inhibit his flexibility and his strength. 

Frustration wells up in his chest. He feels eyes watching him, furtively glancing away when he looks up, pretending they aren’t staring. That they aren’t filled with quiet expectation that he should be able to do this. This shouldn’t confound him. They’ve watched him complete tasks requiring more precision than this, under more pressure, with a timer counting down to doomsday. He feels his ears turn pink with embarrassment and anger, berating himself for his clumsy hands, for being useless. 

He jumps when lights flicker in his eyes. He feels a flash of hope that extinguishes with the erratic glow growing dim again.

He risks a glance toward his team. Bozer is suddenly very interested in something on the other side of the room. Riley and Leanna focusing on their own tasks, but he knows they’re watching him. They want to be encouraging. They want to root for him, but that makes him feel worse. A rising feeling of disgust with his clumsy fingers. They've been so supportive and he just keeps hitting wall after wall. They're bearing the brunt of his uselessness.

Only Jack is openly watching him. It’s not eager and hopeful. It’s not disappointed. It’s just Jack.

He turns his attention back to his hands. 

A deep ache in his shoulders radiates down his arms, making his hands shake harder. He knows Jack can see his disgruntled irritation and any second now he’s going to say…

“What don’t you take a break, hoss?”

Mac looks up through his lashes, but doesn’t reply, focusing on his task again.

He doubles down and tries harder. He can get this. He’s not going to give up. 

“Mac,” Jack's hands cover his own. 

“I can get it.”

“Yeah, you can. You’ve got it. Been working on it for a half hour, and doin’ great.”

Mac rolls his eyes. 

“But I think you need to take a break,” Jack says gently, ducking his head to try to meet Mac’s eyes.

“I’m fine. I need to finish.”

“You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

"I'm not that weak," Mac spits out the words.

"Never said that. Would never even think it. You're the strongest guy I know, dude. "

“Riley and Leanna are going to be done soon.”

Jack shrugs, not letting go of Mac’s hands. “So?”

"Then comes my part,” Mac tries to raise his hands, as if to remind Jack of the materials between his hands that he’s assembling. “If I don’t finish we’re stuck. And with our luck-”

“Don’t go bringing luck into this, slick.” 

"If I don't finish this now, I might not get another chance. Not when all of us are here. Do you realize how rare this is?"

A trio of loud beeps sound, startles everyone in the living room.

“Sorry, sorry,” Bozer says, leaping from the overstuffed chair. “Gingerbread is finished.”

“Look at that. Perfect time for a break,” Jack says innocently. "Do you know how rare it is that we're all here when Bozer is pulling cookies fresh from the oven? Gotta take advantage of it."

“C’mon, Mac,” Riley says moving away from the artificial tree branches she and Leanna have been arranging, attempting to hide the bare spots. “Bozer’s been bragging that he improved his recipe from last year. And I’d like to give my arms a break from getting all scratched up before we start on the lights anyway.”

With a sigh, Mac drops the strand of lights on the coffee table. 

“We can buy new lights if you can’t get it,” Jack offers. “They ain’t that expensive.”

“I can get it,” Mac grumbles, lowering his casted leg from where it is propped up on pillows, gently rubbing his knee.

“You don’t need to get up,” Bozer calls from the kitchen as he pulls pans of cookies from the oven. “I’ll bring the cookies to you.”

“I-- I need a break. I should walk a little,” Mac admits as he scoots forward to leverage himself off of the couch. Jack stands, hands hover, not touching him, not close enough to give him the satisfaction of shrugging them off. Ready to catch him if he loses his balance. He looks at them pointedly, then up at Jack. His partner shrugs, but doesn’t move from his standby position. 

“Those lights are like from the first Christmas, dude.”

“So, almost as old as you?”

Jack shakes his head, ignoring the dig. “I’m just sayin’ you’ve been repairing them as long as I’ve known you. Eventually, they’re gonna go ka-put for reals. It’s okay if this is the year you can’t fix them.”

“I can still do my job,” Mac snaps.

Jack gives Riley and Leanna a look as they scoot out of the living room to join Bozer in the kitchen, giving the two men privacy. He drops back onto the couch next to Mac. He picks up one of Mac’s hands, he can feel the taut muscles and tendons twitching under his touch. He starts at the heel of Mac’s hand, thumbs massaging away the ache. 

“No one is second guessing that, Mac. But you’re going to need some time to heal, and that’s okay.”

“How can you trust me to disarm a bomb if I can’t get it together long enough to fix faulty wiring on Christmas lights?”

“Because a week ago, you wouldn’t have been able to hold the lights,” Jack moves one hand to rest against Mac’s neck. “Your doctor, your occupational therapist, they’re all impressed with the improvements you’ve made. I'm so proud of you, but you need to give yourself time.”

Mac huffs, glaring at the lights again. “I should be able to fix them. It’s not like I’m trying to pull off a Christmas miracle or anything. Just make the lights work.” He throws himself back against the couch, pulling his hand from Jack's grasp and crossing his arms angrily. 

“I get that this is important to you,” Jack begins slowly. 

“It’s just one more thing that I can’t do for myself,” Mac interrupts. Frustration causing his hands to fiercely tremble. “Look at this," he holds his hands out for Jack's inspection. "I’m so tired of it.”

“I’m sorry, kiddo.”

“Me too,” Mac dashes a hand across his eyes. “I’m sorry that I have to rely on you and Bozer for everything.

"I'm not," Jack says simply.

"You shouldn’t have to be on constant standby to help me.” 

Jack’s hands cup Mac’s face, catching a stray tear with his thumb. “I thought I lost you, Mac. I thought this time was the end of the line for sure. I get that this is frustrating, and it's hard for you to ask for help, but you don't have to ask. Family doesn't have to ask, and I’ll live my life on standby if you need me to."

Jack pauses, letting his words sink in. Ensuring the Mac is listening. Watching his face for the moment that promise takes root in his brain.

"I don’t care if you can’t make some dumb twinkle lights start glowin’ with tinfoil and chewing gum. You're still with us, as far as I’m concerned, you already pulled off a Christmas miracle this year.” 

  
  
  



End file.
